|
January 9, 2025, 10:00 PM
|
Mediagazer
memeorandum
WeSmirchTop News
| Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat / Reuters: |
Frank McCourt's Project Liberty says it made a formal bid to ByteDance to acquire TikTok's US assets, aiming to keep the app alive without its current algorithm — Entrepreneur and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's Project Liberty and its consortium of partners in The People's Bid … | Financial Times: |
Sources: Elon Musk and his right-wing allies discussed how to destabilize the UK Labour government and remove PM Keir Starmer, beyond Musk's aggressive X posts — Technology billionaire interested in building support for another political party, notably Reform UK
More: Reuters, Social Media Today, New York Times, Daily Express, Republic World, Telegraph, Financial Times, The Indian Express, CBS Chicago on YouTube, The Irish Times, Semafor, Business Standard, Deccan Herald, Mediaite, Sky News, The i Paper, The Times, Daily Express, The US Sun, Fortune, The Mirror, and Business Today
Bluesky: @premnsikka, @t0nyyates, @umakumaran, @pickardje, @mijrahman, @blairmcdougall, and @mijrahman
X: @elonmusk, @yanisvaroufakis, @carolineslocock, @peterstefanovi2, @jamesrbuk, @elonmusk, @mattgubba, @amberrudduk, @p_kallioniemi, @shashj, @elonmusk, @jonlis1, @p_kallioniemi, @tashecon, @jimfergusonuk, @acoyne, @elonmusk, @simon_schama, @tashecon, and @elonmusk. LinkedIn: Danny Rogers. Forums: r/unitedkingdom
| Financial Times: |
Analysis: Elon Musk's UK obsession is driven by a few X accounts; an ex-Twitter exec says Musk may be the first tech leader to be radicalized by his own product — Tech billionaire's posts about grooming gangs scandal have elevated issue — Elon Musk's recent obsession with UK politics …
More: Ars Technica, Human Events, and modernity
Bluesky: @bucketshopbob, @chez-rolez, @rswestmore.land, @lylescout, @yanisvaroufakis, @ianfraser, @bobrmitchell, @kadriliik, @mostlymammoths, @anneapplebaum, and @josiah.writes.news
Forums: r/technology and r/europe
| Ashley Capoot / CNBC: |
Google and Microsoft donate $1M to Trump's inauguration; Google says the donation, a YouTube livestream, and a homepage event link align with past inaugurations — Google donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, becoming the latest major tech company to try …
More: Newsweek, CNBC, The Hill, Benzinga, Washington Post, The Verge, Decrypt, Bloomberg, Forbes, Politico, Fast Company, Breitbart, UPI, Silicon UK, Washington Examiner, Windows Central, The Independent, Cryptopolitan, Daily Kos, The Guardian, Daily Kos, The Wrap, New York Post, Quartz, AV Club, Watcher Guru, Coinpedia Fintech News, Crypto Briefing, The Block, CryptoSlate, and Associated Press
Bluesky: @hilli.tech, @americaulied2me, @crazysaguaro.com, and @mgsiegler.com
X: @stevenoverly, @rickclaypool, @mikenelson, @ianbremmer, @dailykos, @mitchellvii, @gekaminsky, @lauraloomer, @senwarren, @morningbrew, @morningbrew, and @pkafka
Forums: r/esist, r/technology, and r/politics
| Kevin Purdy / Ars Technica: |
The Linux Foundation launches an initiative to fund developing Chromium projects in a “neutral space”, with support from Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Opera — But it's really a “neutral space” for funding and support, corralling together some big names with a stake in the future of Chrome's open source roots, Chromium.
More: The Linux Foundation, Chromium Blog, Phoronix, BetaNews, The Verge, ZDNET, Android Police, Microsoft Edge Blog, Neowin, Thurrott, and 9to5Google
X: @awesomekling and @eron_wolf
Forums: r/browsers, r/programming, and Ars OpenForum
| Jason Koebler / 404 Media: |
Sources: many of Meta's employees are furious about its moderation changes allowing “allegations of mental illness” when based on “gender or sexual orientation” — Meta's decision to specifically allow users to call LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill” has sparked widespread backlash at the company.
More: Techdirt, Attitude, New Republic, Business Today, and The Atlantic
Bluesky: @dwillner, @jasonkoebler, @mutual-a, @thewanderingjew, @eliothiggins, @o.simardcasanova.net, @dwillner, @samleecole, @o.simardcasanova.net, @willoremus.com, @dwillner, @esqueer.net, @evacide, @o.simardcasanova.net, @gbbranstetter, @jasonkoebler, and @dwillner. Mastodon: @aral@mastodon.ar.al. Threads: @parkermolloy
X: @zaidjilani and @redsteeze
Forums: r/AnythingGoesNews and r/technology
| Mike Masnick / Techdirt: |
More: Nieman Lab, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 404 Media, Cautious Optimism, YourStory, Financial Times, Beyond Search, Wired, The Atlantic, Talking Points Memo, Semafor, TechCrunch, and Washington Post
Bluesky: @rani, @natecardozo, @joshsternberg.com, @0x0.boo, @0x0.boo, @karlbode.com, @mmasnick, @willoremus.com, and @viacristiano
Mastodon: @KimPerales@toad.social, @ethanz@social.coop, and @stefthepef@mastodon.social. Threads: @jtroll
X: @shayan86, @jonathanstray, and @_jaybaxter_
Forums: r/technology, r/KeepOurNetFree, and r/technology
| Carly Page / TechCrunch: |
Ivanti warns that threat actors exploited a critical-rated zero-day in its widely used Connect Secure VPN tool to compromise its corporate customers' networks — U.S. software giant Ivanti has warned that a zero-day vulnerability in its widely-used enterprise VPN appliance has been exploited …
More: Google Cloud Blog, BleepingComputer, SiliconANGLE, CSO, Rapid7, Cybersecurity …, Ars Technica, Ivanti, Cyber Daily, SecurityWeek, CyberScoop, Cybersecurity Dive, CRN, Security Boulevard, The Record, SC Media, The Register, Help Net Security, MacSecurity.net, DataBreachToday.com, Tech Monitor, Infosecurity, Security Affairs, ISPreview UK, Cyber Security News, and The Hacker News
Bluesky: @phillyfilly and @campuscodi.risky.biz. Mastodon: @carlypage@mastodon.social. X: @uk_daniel_card. Forums: Slashdot
| Jonathan Stempel / Reuters: |
A US judge rules that Google must face a class action claiming Google collected users' personal data from their phones after switching off Web & App Activity — Google failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss a privacy class action claiming it collected personal data from people's cellphones …
More: Ars Technica, MediaPost, SiliconANGLE, Newswise, SC Media, San Francisco Business Times, PhoneArena, Computerworld, Forbes, and NewsBytes
Forums: r/degoogle and r/technology
| Ryan Browne / CNBC: |
Ubisoft says it is appointing advisers to review and pursue strategic options after an October 2024 report said its majority backers were considering a buyout — French video game publisher Ubisoft said Thursday it's appointing advisors to review and pursue strategic options after a report …
More: Game World Observer, UBISOFT ENTERTAINMENT, UPI, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, IGN, Game File, Bloomberg, Gamereactor UK, Variety, Gameranx, Polygon, and Stevivor
| Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch: |
xAI launches a Grok app in beta for iOS in multiple countries, including the US, Australia, and India, and is preparing a dedicated Grok.com website — Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is testing out a standalone iOS app for its chatbot, Grok, which was available only to X users until now.
More: MacRumors, TechCrunch, Engadget, Wall Street Journal, PYMNTS.com, iLounge, PhoneArena, WinBuzzer, MakeUseOf, iClarified, iDownloadBlog.com, 9to5Mac, Digital Trends, Redmond Pie, BGR, The Verge, and Tom's Guide
Bluesky: @germanshepherdgirl. X: @arielmichaeli, @parkerortolani, @scobleizer, @brianroemmele, @brianroemmele, @brianroemmele, @ns123abc, @manan, and @pitdesi. Forums: MacRumors Forums
| Lillian Rizzo / CNBC: |
Disney says it has an estimated 157M global MAUs watching ad-supported content across its streaming services Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, including 112M US users — Disney said Wednesday it has an estimated 157 million global monthly active users watching ad-supported content across its streaming platforms — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
More: PYMNTS.com, The Streamable, Storyboard18, 9meters, Proactive, CNET, TVNewsCheck, and Benzinga
Forums: r/stocks, r/Piracy, r/technology, and r/cordcutters
| Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: |
Court docs: Mark Zuckerberg gave the Meta team training Llama AI models approval to use data from LibGen, which offers access to pirated, copyrighted material — Counsel for plaintiffs in a copyright lawsuit filed against Meta allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave the green light …
More: Wired, NoCal District Court, Neowin, Channel NewsAsia, and NoCal District Court
Bluesky: @kortizart and @the-jaguarr
X: @adameisgrau, @adameisgrau, @adameisgrau, and @kyliebytes
Forums: r/technology and Slashdot
| Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch: |
NYC-based Captions, an AI-powered video editing app, introduces a free tier with basic video editing tools, while keeping AI features in the $10/month Pro tier — Video editing app Captions is looking to cash in on uncertainty around TikTok and ByteDance's video editing app CapCut's future in the U.S. by turning to a freemium model.| Richard Lawler / The Verge: |
Apple says it “has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles” and never sold it for advertising or other purposes, after paying $95M to settle a lawsuit — A Siri lawsuit settlement over privacy issues has dredged up old rumors about iPhone ad targeting …
More: Apple, TechSpot, Reuters, The Hustle, Mashable, Proactive, Thurrott, The Record, UPI, Philip Elmer‑DeWitt, New York Post, Computerworld, Quartz, MacRumors, Neowin, BetaNews, PhoneArena, PCMag, Deccan Herald, Silicon UK, AppleInsider, iClarified, O'Grady's PowerPage, The Economic Times, International Business Times, Sherwood News, MacDailyNews, Hindustan Times, Benzinga, MySmartPrice, Gearrice, 9to5Mac, Bloomberg Law, and iLounge
Bluesky: @justinschuh.com and @davidcarroll.org
Mastodon: @SuffolkLITLab@esq.social and @chartier@toot.cafe
X: @verge, @pkafka, @aaronp613, and @pkafka
| Heather Landi / Fierce Healthcare: |
Hippocratic AI, which is building an LLM for health care, raised a $141M Series B, valuing the company at $1.64B, and launches a health care AI agent app store — Hippocratic AI funding round generative AI Kleiner Perkins — Hippocratic AI is kicking off 2025 with a bang.Sponsor Posts
Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26 — Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26 — Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.Featured Podcasts
Grit:
How Evan Spiegel Is Building the Future of Computing
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Acquired:
10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)
Learn the playbooks that built the world's greatest companies - and how you can apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Subscribe to Acquired.
Lenny's Podcast:
Why humans are AI's biggest bottleneck (and what's coming in 2026) | Alexander Embiricos (OpenAI Codex Product Lead)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
OpenAI's 2026 Priority, Disney's AI Play, Datacenter Buildout Trouble
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
About This Page
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 10:00 PM ET, January 9, 2025.
The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.
From Mediagazer
Brian Steinberg / Variety:Kanis Leung / Associated Press:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Upcoming Tech Events
More News
| George Hammond / Financial Times: |
More: Reuters, San Francisco Business Times, and Seeking Alpha
| Stephen Totilo / Game File: |
More: iPhone in Canada Blog, PlayStation LifeStyle, Creative Bloq, and VideoGamer
Bluesky: @tslwhidbey, @isaacalves, @mdelamerced, @toadsanime.lostincult.co.uk, @knoebel, and @stephentotilo
LinkedIn: Jesper Juul and Stephen Totilo
| Marina Temkin / TechCrunch: |
| Annie Palmer / CNBC: |
| Sarah Emerson / Forbes: |
More: SiliconANGLE. Bluesky: @tompaine1776, @criticismkumar, and @lauridonahue. Threads: @tomgara
X: @parkerortolani, @mathewi, @sarahnemerson, and @sarahnemerson
Earlier Picks
| Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch: |
More: Balderton Capital, Tech.eu, Tech Funding News, FinSMEs, Game Developer, and GamesIndustry.biz. X: @ingridlunden
| Wall Street Journal: |
More: Blackstone, Maginative, DDN, HPCwire, DDN, Pulse 2.0, Blocks and Files, Crunchbase News, and Benzinga. LinkedIn: Miriam Gottfried
| Vince Dioquino / Decrypt: |
More: CoinDesk, Ars Technica, CryptoSlate, Fortune, Unchained, Cointelegraph, Cryptopolitan, Bitcoin Insider, crypto.news, Coinpedia Fintech News, Bitcoinist.com, The Coin Republic, NewsBTC, CourtListener, CryptoGlobe, CCN.com, Inside Bitcoins, CryptoPotato, Watcher Guru, The Crypto Times, CoinGape, Cryptonews, Benzinga, Blockchain.News, and Crypto Briefing
| Julian Chokkattu / Wired: |
More: TechCrunch, The Information, Mashable, Interesting Engineering, The Rundown AI, The Verge, NewsBytes, and Neowin. Forums: Slashdot